United View: Amorim fumes after draw at Anfield

After a dismal festive period for Manchester United, there was a sense of apprehension ahead of their trip to Anfield to face league leaders Liverpool in their second game of 2025.

But remarkably, the Reds gave their best performance under Ruben Amorim, unlucky not to come away with the win, raising the question: why hasn’t this been the standard under the new manager?

In his pre-match press conference, Ruben Amorim boldly talked about his team, saying, “They are anxious and sometimes afraid on the pitch.” Not something many fans would want to hear before heading to hostile territory against their biggest rivals, yet given how his side played, it’s fair to say they proved him wrong, on this occasion at least.

United were excellent against Arne Slot’s side, taking the lead through Lisandro Martinez early into the second half with a thunderous effort. Despite being pushed back by a well-taken Cody Gakpo strike and Mohamed Salah penalty, the Reds fought back, equalising ten minutes from time through Amad Diallo.

In recent years, United’s big away results have often relied on sitting deep and counterattacking. However, United played a different game on Sunday, one reminiscent of their display at the Etihad just a few weeks ago. This was a more well-rounded display than that 2-1 win and United were unfortunate not to come away with all three points when Harry Maguire missed a chance in the final minutes.

To be fair, Joshua Zirkzee was likely offside in the buildup to Maguire’s missed chance, and regardless, Maguire’s performance was outstanding once again. With Amorim calling for his ‘leaders’ to step up, the England international delivered exceptionally well. An incredible turnaround after his United career had at one point been written off by many.

Maguire wasn’t the only standout, Bruno Fernandes played out of his skin, setting up the first goal and offering uncharacteristic calmness about his game. Then there was the midfield duo of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, who showed why they should be the starting pair in the middle of Amorim’s team. A stark contrast to the ageing pair of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle the previous Monday.

It’s bewildering that Manchester United can give their best away displays at the Etihad and Anfield in the same season yet find themselves 14th in the league. But, if they keep delivering performances like the one, they showed they’re capable of, they’ll climb up the league table eventually.

The free week before the match likely gave Amorim time to implement his ideas, though the high stakes of the rivalry may also have elevated the player’s performance. Whatever the reason, this was arguably their best performance under their new manager. They now need to maintain these standards, which they’ve set themselves.

After the game, Amorim even sounded frustrated about his team’s polarising performances, saying, “We talk about the system, but you can see that it’s not hard. It’s not about the system; it’s about mentality. Today was a good performance, but I want to tell my players that I’m very angry about the previous games. We have to do this in every game.”

Amorim now has another week with a clear schedule before his side makes the trip to the Emirates on Sunday for only the second time since taking over in November. Sunday’s result may not have been a win, but it could mark a turning point in Amorim’s tenure - if United can find consistency. The challenge is turning performances like this into momentum, starting with Arsenal in the FA Cup.